Night Hikes Can Help Your Kids Be More Brave In Life. Get Started With These 5 Expert Tips.

One of the great joys of being a parent is getting to witness the natural world through your child’s eyes—be it seeing a bright red cardinal or a giant redwood for the first time. Somehow, sharing in their thrill of discovery never gets old. Even now, with my 5-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son, a hike is an endlessly rewarding nature scavenger hunt for our whole family.

As a family of avid hikers, it was only a matter of time before we approached the idea of a night hike. Although my kids have happily skirted the night, catching the sunrise on Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain and stalking woodcocks dancing at dusk, this was all before my daughter developed a fear of the dark. Concerned that a night hike might be traumatic for her, I sought advice from Dr. Dawn Huebner, a child psychologist and the author of Facing Mighty Fears About Trying New Things.

“It helps to talk about things as ‘scary but safe,’ acknowledging your child’s fear without in any way suggesting that the danger is real,” said Dr. Huebner, cautioning that children are better able to face big fears when you go step-by-step. “Growth happens in the space just outside a child’s current comfort zone.”

After a long conversation with Dr. Huebner, weeks of planning, and chats with other experts, I set out with my kids on a series of exhilarating evening excursions. From choosing the right gear to fueling the fun, here’s what to know before hiking with your kids at night.  

Prepare for the unforeseen

As with any hike, day or night, preparation and safety are key. Exploring night sky programs at national parks, I spoke to Acadia’s Ranger Amanda Pollock who said that slips and falls are the most common injuries in the Maine park, and to keep in mind that holes or roots are harder to spot at night. “Make sure you light your way,” said Ranger Pollock, who suggested a headlamp with a red light setting for kids who might appreciate continuous soft light. In addition to illuminating potential hazards on the trail and being aware of various wildlife in the area, Ranger Pollock said to layer up for fickle weather, bring a first aid kit, and pack an extra set of batteries or wireless power bank should you get lost or run out of juice. 

Keen to keep track of scampering kids on the dark trails, I outfitted them in reflective gear, like Patagonia’s Torrentshell 3L rain jacket, Namuk’s Mack zip-off pants and a beanie with a reflective pompom, which added a fun new element to hiking.  

Start out on easy, familiar terrain

Ranger Pollock advised avoiding hard routes at night. “What goes up must come down,” she said, “and you don’t want to be struggling to make it back to the car.”  We began the nocturnal journey in a familiar place, our backyard, which borders an open space preserve. We turned flashlights on and off, gradually keeping the lights off for longer periods as we made night time observations: the rich smell of wet earth, the comical curvature of trees, a twinkling sky. 

Tommy McCarthy, an environmental educator at Woodcock Nature Center in Connecticut, said noticing things in the daytime can relieve some of the nervousness about going out in the dark, as can having a destination and a goal. “Walk to an open area to look at stars or hike to a wetland or vernal pool to shine a light in the water and see if anything is swimming,” said McCarthy, who also recommends bringing a camera with a tripod for taking long exposure images of the sky or woods. 

Empower little nocturnal adventurers

A few days later, the kids nominated a local park for our first official family night hike. To my surprise, as the sky shifted from periwinkle blue to navy, my daughter asked to lead the way along the woodsy trail en route to the park’s hilltop. At one point, she stopped in the woods and whispered, “Let’s turn off the lights and look at the moon.” At the top of the hill, we sat in the grass sipping hot chocolate and using the Night Sky app to spot Mars, Orion’s Belt, Castor and Pollux, and even a unicorn named Monoceros. On the walk back, the dark woods turned thick with unsettling noises, and my daughter asked to be carried. I scooped her up and tried not to regret the night hike.

Remembering what Dr. Huebner told me about how children confuse bravery with not feeling scared, I told my daughter I was proud of her and that she had been very brave to keep hiking even though it felt scary. “You don’t have to feel brave to be brave,” said Dr. Huebner. “Once we make that distinction, we can say things like, ‘This would be a good time to practice bravery,’ or ‘Let your bravery help you here.’ We aren’t necessarily trying to banish fear; we are teaching our children that fear doesn’t need to stop them.” 

Dr. Huebner also said that children need the repeated experience of feeling apprehensive, doing that thing anyway and then seeing that the new thing gets easier and soon no longer feels new, or hard, or scary. “Mastery won’t happen if the child takes one tiny step and then stays at that level; the process has to be dynamic.”

Walk on the wild side

On the cusp of spring, we took a road trip to Scribner’s Lodge, a popular basecamp for stargazing and hiking in the Catskill Mountains. “Going on a night hike can give positive memorable experiences that you can’t get on a daytime hike,” said McCarthy. “Like the nighttime choruses of frogs in the spring, hearing or seeing owls, there are even some mushrooms that glow in the dark.” I had packed a favorite book from my childhood, Owl Moon, to read with my kids, and after we were done, the kids were eager to spy a great horned owl. 

As we gathered around a trail map at twilight, eating s’mores by the hotel’s chiminea fireplace, the wind started to pick up and snow started falling, along with the temperature. We’d hiked in worse weather, but never at night. Should we still go? “Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoooooo!” my kids replied. So, we bundled up and set out on the nearby Hunter Branch Rail Trail.

After crossing a bridge, we found ourselves tiptoeing over old wooden train tracks on a narrow path lined with ferns and eastern hemlocks. The kids would stop to listen, silently gesturing to the shimmying trees and the river gushing below. They’d point to different branches, a possible shadow of a bird. The snow was coming down in slanted heaps, but my daughter and son didn’t seem to notice.

“Learning about animals adapted to nocturnal life can help kids build confidence in nature and overcome fears of the dark,” said Dr. Huebner. “It also engages the senses in a different way, with an emphasis on silhouettes and shapes and sounds when you can’t see the colors as well.” 

Keep night hikes fresh and fun

We never did spot a great horned owl, but after our trip in the Catskills, both my kids became big fans of night hiking. Over blueberry pancakes the following morning, we decided we should do monthly nocturnal adventures with other families and call it the “Friends of the Night Club.” Some of my kids’ ideas included searching for salamanders at night, stargazing at an Appalachian Mountain Club hut, and a sleepover with wolves at the Wolf Conservation Center.

While we’re still developing the night hike calendar, invitations have already gone out and at least one thing is certain: my 5-year-old’s fear of the dark has made her more adventurous and more in tune with nature than I could’ve imagined. Plus, watching  my daughter face her fear one step at a time has made me want to do more brave things in my own life, too.